Automobile-signal



L. BOURQUIN.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 1920.

2 Hm 5 & w 0 B L m L. BOURQUIN.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED HINT-:5. 1920.

I 1,367,175. Patented Feb. 1,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- v u F 3 a gnome c ill] UNITED STATES LOUIS .BOUBQUIN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed June 5, 1920. Serial No. 386,726.

Q '0 all to item it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis BOUR UIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New ()rleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have inventedcertain may be readily attached to and detached.

from an automobile.

A. further object is to provide a device of this character in which the signal is concealed when not in actual use, thereby avoiding the confusion commonly caused by such signals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device providing signal arm normally concealed in a casing and means actuated by the shifting of the signal arm to bring the same into operative position for opening the casing, the casing being adapted to close by gravity when the signal is moved to an inoperative position and effectually conceal the signal from view.

These and other objects are obtained by the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- V Figure 1 is a perspective of my device showing the semaphore arm thereof in an extended or operative position and indicating in dotted lines the manner in which the device is secured to the frame work of the automobile.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional'view taken through my apparatus showing the sema phore arm in extended position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my device,

:1 the cover plate being raised to show the interior arrangement of the casing.

Fig. 4: is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3. a

Fig. 5 is a section taken. on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a casing embodying a top, back and two sides.

Spring clips 11 are secured to the casing and serve as a means for clipping same to the frame work of the automobile, prefen ably to the door thereof next adjacent the drivers seat. It willbe obvious that the spr ng clips 11 will effectually hold the rear face of the casing 10 against the frame work of the automobile and will prevent rattling thereby, and that the casing may be readily removed. A front closure 12 is pivotally connected to the casing 10 at the top thereof by means of hinges 13. A vertical shaft 14 is pivotally mounted in the upper wall of thecasing 10 as at 15 and in a journal 16 carried by the casing adjacent the lower end thereof. This shaft is provided upon its upper end with an operating handle 17 by means of which the shaft may be rotated.

Secured to the shaft 14L is a semaphore signal arm 18 of any desired type, preferably being shaped in the silhouette of .a human hand. This semaphore arm is made of some light material such as thin sheet metal, and is reinforced upon that face thereof which will be disposed toward the rear end of the automobile as at 19 in order to prevent distortion of the signal by the wind created by the motion of the machine. Secured to the shaft 14 above the semaphore arm and adjacent the upper wall of the casing is a substantially horizontal flatbar20. j l

In operating the signal the shaft is rotated by means of the handle 17. The bar 29 is of greater width than the signal arm 18 and engages the hinged closure 12 prior to the time at which it would have been engaged by thesignal arm,raising the cover and allowing the signal to oscillate with the shaft 1a. In order to properly aline the semaphore arm so that it will be disposed, when in extended position at right angles to the body of the car, the hinged closure 12 is provided with a flange 21, reinforced as at 22, with which the bar comes into engagement.

It will be obvious that the use of the bar 20 will permit the use of the semaphore signal arm of any desired construction together with a signal opened closure such as described above. Were the bar not utilized and the signal arm given a curvature such as illustrated in the drawings, the projecting portions of the metal coming in contact with the edge of the cover would catch and prevent proper closing of the device.

As many changes are possible in shape, size and arrangement of the various parts hereinbefore described, I do-not limit myself to the specific structure hereinbefore set forth, but may make any such changes without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a semaphore signal for automobiles, a casing having one open side, a normally vertically disposed closure plate for said open side hingedly connected to the top of said casing, a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, a semaphore signal arm secured to said shaft and normally disposed within said casing and a bar secured to said shaft intermediate the upper surface of said signal and the top of said casing, said bar serving to engage said closure plate and shift the same to horizontalposition when the" shaft is rotated to move said signal to the operative position.

2. In a semaphore signal for automobiles, a casing having one open side, a closure plate for said open side hingedly connected to the top of said casing to swing in a vertical plane, a vertically disposed shaft rotatably' mounted in said casing, a semaphore signal arm secured to said shaft to be-oscillated thereby in a horizontal plane and normally disposed within said casing and a bar secured to said shaft intermediate the upper surface of said signal and the top of said casing, said bar serving to engage said closure plate and shift the same to horizontal position when the shaft is rotated to move said signal to the operative position, said cover plate being provided with a stop adapted to be engaged by said bar when the semaphore arm is in operative position.

3, In a semaphore signal for automobiles, a casing having one open side, a closure plate for said open side liingedly connected to the top of said casing, a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, a semaphore signal arm secured to said shaft and normally disposed within said casing and a bar secured to said shaft intermediate the upper surface of said signal and the top of said casing, said bar serving to engage said closure plate and shift the same to horizontal position when-the shaft is 1'0- tated to move said signal to the operative position, said cover plate being provided with a reinforced flange adapted to be en-- gaged by said bar when the semaphore arm is in operative position.

4. In a semaphore signal for automobiles, a casing having one open side, a closure plate for said open side hingedly connected to said casing to swing in one plane, a shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, a semaphore signal arm secured to said shaft to be shifted thereby in a plane at right angles to the plane of swing of said closure plate and normally disposed within said casing, a bar secured to said shaft said bar serving to engage said closure plate and shift the same when the shaft is rotated to move said signal to the operative position, and means for removably securing said casing to the frame Work of an automobile.

5. In a semaphore signal for automobiles, a casing having one open side, a closure plate for said open side hingedly connected to the top of said casing to swing in a vertical plane, a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, a semaphore signal arm secured to said shaft to be oscillated thereby in a horizontal plane and normally disposed within said casing and a bar secured to said shaft intermediate the upper surface of said signal and the top of said casing, said bar serving to engage said closure plate and shift the same to horizontal position when the shaft is rotated to move said signal to the operative position, and spring clips secured to said casing whereby said casing may be removably secured to the frame work of the automobile.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

LOUIS BOURQUIN. 

